Keepin’ It Reel

Werner Herzog is a madman with a camera. In an interview with Henry Rollins, the German filmmaker discussed his philosophy: “At the moment, there is a major tectonic shift going on. We have virtual reality, the Internet, reality TV, digital effects, Photoshop ... everything is pointing towards a redefinition of reality. We have to start seeing, working, explaining, and articulating reality movies in a different way.”

Herzog’s process is grueling. During his film Rescue Dawn (which is based on his 1998 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly), Herzog made Christian Bale eat real worms for a scene. He has threatened to shoot actors, and crew members have withered under the back-breaking conditions he subjects them to. Naturally he has made a few enemies, and in 2006, Herzog was shot during an interview with the BBC. A retrospective of his work, “The Wrath of Werner Herzog,” began last Friday at Miami Beach Cinematheque and continues to the end of the month. Tonight at 8:30 catch The Enigma of Kasper Hauser (1974), a bleak revisiting of the German legend who lived until age 17 without human contact, and was then unleashed to a cruel and judgmental world. Admission is $10. For a full schedule of screenings, call 305-673-4567 or visit www.mbcinema.com.
Aug. 3-31